Scarlet Rose.

"From the looks of it the Monster was killed by her!"

May was freaking out watching Hamlin inspect the dagger he had given to Amanise.

"And you know what the hell is freaking me out?!"

"What May?"

"Are fucking with me, right now?! A dormant human unaware of the Forbidden Arts...!"

The fog around turned somewhat sinister.

"Stop speaking that language. We don't want to attract attention, May. So calm down."

"Compared to how anyone normal should be acting right now. I'm fricking calm! Side note never tell a lady to calm down. It just does the opposite!!!"

She spat out. Her voice a bit high.

Watching the dead monster.

Half of the monster was that of a shrunken human girl, the other half was an unsightly abomination.

An amalgamation of eyes, teeth and bones.

A few feets away was a naked girl who she had already been clothed by her, looking flawless with no single scratch. Except somewhat painted with both human blood and a Monster's.

The human's blood was supposedly hers but there was no source.

The black tunic and trousers ripped in shreds were soaked by the side.

If May were to only see it she would have assumed the owner was dead. Because ninety percent of the soaked blood was human's.

How did this freaking human survive?

That was the only thing ringing her mind and all she wanted to know.

"We must report back to the Council."

She said, running her hand in her wavy auburn long hair which was looking tousled from the wind and her consistent raking.

"No."

Hamlin disapproved without a single after thought to the consequences.

"But they have to know! This is dangerous. If she could kill a Grade 5 Upper Rank with a useless dagger and a shard of glass..."

"And wits."

"What?"

May looked at him with a confused expression.

"You forgot wits too. I had to remind you."

He said pulling out his pocket watch once more, seemingly in deep thought.

May realising what he meant proceeded to roll her eyes.

"And wits of a seasoned warrior. Does that suit your taste, Your Grace?"

She mocked.

"Well equating wits to that of a seasoned warrior might be an overstatement but I will look over it. Since your vocabulary is limited."

A vein popped out from the side of her head. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply before opening it. A warm, counterfeit smile plastered on her face.

"Thanks for your thoughtfulness. I was infact at lost of words. But let's move on to the things most important at hand..."

She forgot what she wanted to say next when his stormy gaze met hers. Her breath hitched in her throat somewhat feeling hot on the face.

"She is my business. They will only know at my own accord. Understood?"

Silence reigned between both of them. Before May nodded.

"Ok. But if it reaches something you can't handle. I am letting them know..."

"Who said I can't handle it?"

He pulled out the dagger stabbed deep into the Monster's chest. Looking for something.

"Well you didn't handle this Monster."

May snarkily remarked. She was walking towards the girl. She still found it very suspicious.

If the girl had undergone the Turning she would have tried to accept the fact with a logical explanation of her possessing regeneration or healing.

That might explain the ripped broken bloody spine beside the girl and an unrecognisably crushed skull. But then again regeneration couldn't do this much. The person might be still trying to heal for weeks or die trying.

It still made no sense.

Was there someone else here? The owner of the crushed skull and spine?

She was about asking something to Hamlin when she saw him smiling.

Before remembering what he said earlier.

Wait a minute. Is there a way that he managed to have a hand in this?

Does he know what truly happened here?

Shivers crawled up her spine spreading her skin.

"The core? Are you with it?"

"No, it's gone."

"She could be the key to the lock. We have been looking for."

Her hooded forest green eyes narrowed at him.

Hamlin picked up Amanise in a princess style. When he looked back at May, his gray eyes framed under a monocle darkened into dangerous slits.

She felt her neck tingle from cold hands. When her hand reached up to touch her neck. There was nothing there as expected. She looked back at him not breaking eye contact again.

"A word from this to anyone. I'd stuck a stake down your lovely throat slowly with each breath you take, sweetheart."

He drawled.

She felt hot and frightened. Genuinely wishing to stab him and disappear at the same time. Instead she glared reminding herself under the perfect facade of a gentleman was an equally terrifying monster.

Which was true.

"Will Alaric know of this?"

Her voice sounded strangely hoarse.

"I'd be surprised if he didn't know already. He is Alaric... For a reason."

She nodded in agreement.

"Fair point."

"Take care of the trash. We don't want humans to be suspicious. Do we?"

May watched him disappear into the dark towards the direction of his carriage.

She looked around, sighing deeply. She brought out her own brass pocket watch. Her subconscious playing the scene of a certain germaphobe wetting his hands with blood.

No wonder why he wore black gloves today.

He left exactly twenty minutes. Like he always does. Even though she had somewhat intentionally tried to make him stay a minute longer.

She waited for five more minutes for her back-up team to arrive. So they had clear evidence of anything related to the creatures of the dark.

"Oh I hate my job."

She muttered under her breath, sitting on the Monster's corpse and staring up at the crescent moon.

-----------------------------------------

Far away in the West.

Clang!

Clang!

A wooden puppet dragged a red stained axe with one hand holding a human head dripping with blood in another.

The face of the human written in shock at whatever it had seen before it died.

The wooden puppet dragged what it held up a hill to an abandoned cottage ruins.

It suddenly stopped and looked up to the crescent moon.

Blood dripping down from it's eyes.

"Foolish humans. You think you have won? A new era is already here."

The puppet stopped infront of the cottage. It then dropped the human head in its dead garden. Moving to the store house in the left wing of the cottage. Placing it's bloody axe on the wall and bringing out it's shovel. On grabbing it. It dragged it towards the dead garden in front of the cottage.

Digging the ground open. It picked the head up taking a bloody drink. Before tossing the head inside.

A maniacal wooden grin on its faceless head. The puppet closed up the hole back with the sand. Patting the mould like any farmer would do.

"Wake up oh beautiful ones. Show you grace and devastation. Ignite a flame from the abyss. The sand inside the hour glass has been shattered. Eat from the masses. Drink. Let your glory be known to all."

A warbled, blood-chilling song came from it's mouth.

In response, a Scarlet Rose sprouted from the mould.

"That makes it three hundred thousand. Hmm...Seven hundred thousand remaining."